The Scottish government has given planning permission in principle for a £230m film and television studio development near Edinburgh.

Above: The planned development

As well as a studio complex, the scheme includes retail, office and commercial space, a hotel and a gas power plant.

The planning application for Pentland Studios was originally turned down by Midlothian Council in May 2015 but the developer, PSL Land, appealed to Scottish ministers. Ministers decided that the economic benefit of the development outweighed the loss of green belt farmland in Straiton. Final approval is subject to a deal on contributions by the developer towards financing local road improvements, including an A701 relief road.

The developer said: “PSL Land Ltd are very pleased with today’s decision by ministers to approve the grant of planning permission in principle for Scotland’s world-class film & TV studio complex, and will be moving forward immediately with the application for planning permission in detail for the film studio, academy and energy centre sections of the development. Working together with Midlothian Council, PSL hope this next stage will be expedited accordingly, recovering the construction scheduling that will enable delivery of the key Studio operation by late 2018. It is anticipated that a detailed schedule to progress the planning application will be agreed with Midlothian Council in the next few weeks, producing a phased timeframe with the studio, academy and energy centre as the first buildings to be progressed to full planning consent.”